Paul Verlaine

[ian-gazarek.livejournal.com]

"Il pleut doucement sur la ville" -Arthur Rimbaud

—

Il pleure dans mon coeur
Comme il pleut sur la ville,
Quelle est cette langueur
Qui penetre mon coeur?

O bruit doux de la pluie
Par terre et sur les toits!
Pour un coeur qui s'ennuie,
O le chant de la pluie!

Il pleure sans raison
Dans ce coeur qui s'ecoeure.
Quoi! nulle trahison?
Ce deuil est sans raison.

C'est bien la pire peine
De ne savoir pourquoi,
Sans amour et sans haine,
Mon coeur a tant de peine!

Comments

[sapience.livejournal.com]

Oh, wow. I really like the simplicity of the writing in this--how it steps out of the way so that the beauty can shine through. I would love to read more.

[ian-gazarek.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's Verlaine. I actually haven't been able to find where the original Rimbaud quote is from. If you have any suggestions on where to look, I'd be grateful.

[sapience.livejournal.com]

A bit of googling yielded this site: http://www.recmusic.org/lieder/get_author_texts.html?PoetId=2906, which has a large number of his works, including a translation of this poem into English here: http://www.recmusic.org/lieder/get_text.html?TextId=16277.

[ian-gazarek.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Did you have any luck finding where the Rimbaud quote was from?

[sapience.livejournal.com]

Heh--I've actually been working on that. I can't find a thing yet. It appears that Verlaine and Rimbaud were friends, so perhaps Rimbaud said it aloud to Verlaine, who was then inspired to write this poem. I'm going to keep searching, though.

[ian-gazarek.livejournal.com]

I heard that they were lovers—just something a friend told me, not exactly a verifiable source.

[sapience.livejournal.com]

Even better, then!

Well, I'm giving up for now--I'm not having any more luck.

This has been fun. :)

[ex-mahuika7289.livejournal.com]

teehee, i'm glad someone reads my lj, ;-)

[ian-gazarek.livejournal.com]

I wish more people spoke French.

[coconutcaat.livejournal.com]

I liked what I understood of it.

[ian-gazarek.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I don't know what the policy is on posting foreign material, but it's such an excellent poem and I've never read a significant translation of it. Everyone had better just learn to speak French.

[coconutcaat.livejournal.com]

Once, when I was working at a checkout lane at my place of employment, these two old ladies and a guy walked up speaking French and none of them thought I understood what they were saying until I gave them the money total in French. Then they asked me some stuff in French and I told them that I didn't know how to SAY many things, besides dirty phrases, but could understand a bunch. We chatted a little. Then, I was checking out the next customer and one of them walked back up and said "Au revoir" and I didn't understand until like the 5th time they said it then I said "Au revoir" and they all started giggling. End of story.

[ian-gazarek.livejournal.com]

When I worked at a grocery store we had a bunch of Russian kids that always came in and messed with Vlad, the Russian clerk, who went to their high school. Jeff, our boss, wanted to look cool, so he asked Vlad what he could say to them that would impress them, and Vlad told him to say "ya suka", which means "I am a bitch".

[coconutcaat.livejournal.com]

LOL It's like MY job!

[ex-mahuika7289.livejournal.com]

I don't even pretend to claim that this is a decent translation, but this is a pretty direct translation:

It rains in my heart
Like it rains in the city.
What is the langeur
That penetrates my heart?

Oh soft sound of the rain
On the ground and on the rooves!
For a heart who saddens itself
Oh, the song of the rain!

It rains without reason.
In this heart that pierces
What! No treason?
This dirge is without reason.

It's by far the worst pain
To not know why,
Without love, without hate,
My heart feels so much pain.


That's as word for word as I could get, but it's not that poetic. Just reread the poem, now that you know the subject, ;-)

Here's another translation ...

[ian-gazarek.livejournal.com]

"It rains gently on the town" -Arthur Rimbaud

—

It rains in my heart
Like it rains on the town
What is this pallor
That sinks through my heart?

O rain's gentle sound
Against the earth and on the rooftops!
For the restless heart
O the aria of the rain!

It rains without thought
In this heart without a soul
What! Is it not betrayal?
This requiem is without reason.

It is indeed the greatest sorrow
To not understand why,
Without love and without hate,
My heart feels such pain.

Re: Here's another translation ...

[sapience.livejournal.com]

Oh, these translations are so much fun! I want to play, too.


"The rain falls softly upon the town." -Arthur Rimbaud

Tears fall in my heart
As rain falls on the town,
Whence comes this languor
That's pervading my heart?

O sweet sound of the rain
On the earth and rooftops!
For a self-weary heart,
O the song of the rain!

It weeps without reason,
This self-sickened heart.
What! no betrayal?
It mourns without reason.

The worst of the pain
Is not knowing why,
With no love and no hatred,
My heart feels so much pain!

-Paul Verlaine

[ian-gazarek.livejournal.com]

They are fun!

Everyone had better just learn to speak French....

[upatmidnight.livejournal.com]

so when are you offering us lessons? *smirk*

i'm happy i went to read the comments...
i had hope that someone would offer the translations...
and i got 3...
tripple bouns!

beautiful piece...once again...thank you for the share.

[ian-gazarek.livejournal.com]

When I open a school I'll let you know, but I'm really just learning myself.

[upatmidnight.livejournal.com]

ok, i'm going to hold you to that! *giggle*
even tho the French don't care for American's much...
i still can't help but *swoon* when i hear anyone speaking French...
it's so sensual and élite at the same time...

*purrrrr*